The New Orleans Pelicans tested a live in-game prediction app this week that enables fans to make real-time guesses about player performance on the court for a chance to win prizes.
The NBA franchise tested the game, called HotStreak, during its Mar. 12 matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game was developed by Unblockable, Inc., which operates a platform that empowers fans to buy, sell, and use blockchain-based digital collectibles. While the Pelicans were Unblockable’s launch partner, the tech company said it plans to expand the game to other professional sports teams.
The free-to-play game lets fans make predictions on player-specific in-game stats, such as how many points, rebounds, assists, blocks, or steals an athlete might get within a certain time period. It enables teams to craft an “infinite stream of questions” based on the current state of the contest.
Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha said he was happy with engagement during the test and is looking forward to working more closely with Unblockable as the franchise develops new experiences for fans. Interest in the game ramped up as the basketball game progressed, with 20 predictions made per second in the third quarter and an overall engagement increase of 20 percent from the first to fourth quarter.
“It was very encouraging to see the reaction and high usage rate during the game from our fans,” Lauscha said in a statement. “Over the course of the game, there were over 10,000 predictions made and we saw an increase in predictions as the game went on.”
Fans playing the game had the opportunity to win prizes, including signed memorabilia and apparel items. One user was chosen to shoot a $25,000 half-court shot.
“The Pelicans were an unbelievable launch partner and clearly understand the potential of this technology and the direction predictive gaming is going,” said Unblockable CEO Eben Smith. “To have such high engagement, retention and positive feedback throughout the whole game is a harbinger of great things to come.”
SportTechie Takeaway
A number of professional sports teams in the U.S. are racing to develop free-to-play prediction games, which they hope will incentivize fans to remain actively engaged throughout live games. The NFL’s New York Jets and the NBA’s Sacramento Kings have been offering live prediction games over the past two seasons through their respective partnerships with a company called Xperiel. Both of those teams also recently added MGM Resorts as a lead sponsor. Live prediction games are essentially serving as training wheels for legalized sports betting, enabling teams to get their fans used to the idea of making real-time wagers in a competitive setting.
In an interview with SportTechie last month, Kings CTO Ryan Montoya said that while one goal of their prediction game Call The Shot is to get fans more engaged by incentivizing them to interact with the basketball contest, another goal is to educate them about sports betting so they can be prepared for new levels of in-game engagement once California legalizes sports gambling.
“We know where this is going and we want to be prepared,” Montoya said. “We’ve got training wheels on and when it does become legal, not only will we be ready but our fans will be ready.”